2023 Terwilliger Center Summit on Housing Supply Solutions

On June 22, 2023, BPC’s Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy held their 2^nd annual Summit on Housing Supply Solutions. We welcomed experts and thought leaders in government, business, philanthropy, and more who shared their insights on ways to accelerate affordable housing preservation and construction to help Americans struggling to pay high and unsustainable housing costs.

9:00 – 9:30 am: Registration and Breakfast

9:30 – 9:40 am: Opening Remarks
Dennis Shea | Executive Director, J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, BPC

9:40 – 10:10 am: Home Matters: A Fireside Chat on Housing Affordability
Over the past 15 years, the United States has underbuilt housing by millions of homes leading to a mismatch between demand and available supply that has contributed to today’s high housing costs. This structural deficit is negatively impacting communities of all types across the country and affects both the rental and homeownership segments of the housing market. Former HUD Secretary and OMB Director Shaun Donovan moderates a discussion between housing philanthropist Ron Terwilliger and HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman where they will explore the root causes of today’s affordable housing shortage and the actions that can be taken to help increase housing supply and preserve our nation’s existing stock of affordable homes.

Discussion with:

Ron Terwilliger | Board Member, BPC; Chairman Emeritus, Trammell Crow Residential Company

Adrianne Todman | Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Moderated by:

Shaun Donovan | Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Former Director, White House Office of Management and Budget

(10-minute break)

10:20 – 11:05 am: The Future of Housing: Innovating Construction to Reduce Costs
The high cost of development is a major factor driving high housing prices. Throughout the housing development process from planning to construction to inspection, costs layer on top of one another to the point where affordable homes are no longer profitable. Yet a host of recent innovations—relating to off-site construction, 3D printing, as well as green design innovations and the use of novel building materials—could help unlock housing production at all levels of affordability and at scale while enhancing sustainability and resilience. During this panel, three industry leaders will each present on a new technological development in the housing industry, followed by a discussion on the opportunities they provide for housing supply in America.

Discussion with:

Peter Cooperman | Interim CMO, Black Buffalo 3D Corporation

Hugh Frater | Chairman, Vessel Technologies; Former CEO, Fannie Mae

Dan Hardcastle | Special Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Moderated by:

Alyia Gaskins| Senior Program Officer, Melville Charitable Trust

(10-minute break)

11:15 – 11:50 am: Expanding Affordable Housing Opportunities: Prospects for Bipartisan Action (Perspectives from the U.S. House of Representatives)
In the 117th Congress, comprehensive legislation to address our nation’s housing affordability crisis failed to make it across the finish line. Now, with divided control of Congress, any major housing bills in the 118th Congress will require bipartisan support. In this panel, members of the House of Representatives will discuss the state housing policy in Congress, their housing legislative priorities, and what it will take to advance housing legislation with robust bipartisan support.

Discussion with:

Rep. Blake Moore | (R-UT)

Rep. Scott Peters | (D-CA)

Moderated by:

Pamela Hughes Patenaude | Board Member, BPC; Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Housing and Urban Development

(15-minute break)

12:05 – 12:50 pm: Expanding Affordable Housing Opportunities: Prospects for Bipartisan Action (Perspectives from the U.S. Senate)
Housing supply and affordability challenges impact Americans in red states and blue states, and both rural and urban areas. In recent years, members of the Senate have worked across the aisle to highlight and address the nation’s spiraling housing costs, though work remains to pass major investments and reforms to meaningfully improve housing affordability. This panel will explore the potential for bipartisan collaboration on housing policy in the Senate as well as the highest priority legislative proposals to serve those with the greatest housing needs.

Discussion with:

Sen. Tina Smith | (D-MN)

Sen. Cynthia Lummis | (R-WY)

Moderated by:

Nick Timiraos | Chief Economics Correspondent, Wall Street Journal

12:50 – 1:35 pm: Lunch

1:35 – 2:20 pm: Federal Tax Policy: A Key Driver of Affordable Housing Supply
By incentivizing much-needed private investment in the construction and preservation of affordable homes, federal tax policy can be a powerful ally in the effort to increase affordable housing supply. This panel will examine how to strengthen the impact of the existing incentives in the federal tax code, while exploring new opportunities to encourage greater private investment in affordable homes that would be available both for rent and sale. The panel will also assess what is politically achievable in a deeply divided 118th Congress.

Panelists:

Peter Lawrence | Director, Public Policy and Government Relations, Novogradac Consulting LLP

Liz Osborn | Vice President, Policy, Enterprise Community Partners

Sharon Wilson Géno | President, National Multifamily Housing Council

Buzz Roberts | President, National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders

Moderated by:

Neal Rackleff | Attorney at Law, Rackleff LLP

(10-minute break)

2:30 – 3:15 pm: Housing Market and Economic Outlook
Despite our country’s structural deficit of homes for both sale and rent, home construction declined in the first quarter of 2023 and confidence in the future path of the housing market is mixed. Broader uncertainty about the direction of the economy, whether inflation has really turned a corner, and the lasting impact of higher interest rates on the housing market all further complicate this picture. With some of our nation’s leading economists, this panel will help decipher recent economic and housing market trends and forecast where we are heading.

Discussion with:

Mark Zandi | Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics

Skylar Olsen | Chief Economist, Zillow

Douglas Holtz-Eakin | President, American Action Forum

Moderated by:

Liz Hoffman | Business & Finance Editor, Semafor

(10-minute break)

3:25 – 4:10 pm: Homelessness and Housing Supply
According to the most recent federal count, over half a million people experienced homelessness in the United States last year. While differing approaches and views on how to address homelessness have emerged as the issue gains greater visibility, the interplay between homelessness and housing supply remains a central consideration for decision-makers as they look to craft effective solutions and meet the needs of unhoused populations. This expert panel will discuss the root causes of homelessness, share insights from recent policy interventions, and identify common-sense solutions that can help inform federal action.